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Dr Lucinda Newns
Lecturer in English Lucinda Newns is a Lecturer in English specialising in postcolonial and environmental literature. She joined BGU in 2023 after previous positions at King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London and the University of Manchester. She has also held a research fellowship at the Education University of Hong Kong (2020-2021). She was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship to complete her PhD at London Metropolitan University and holds an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) and a BA from New York University. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. -
BGU Sports Day success!
20th to 24th May 2024 -
BGU graduate's production to run in West End!
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) graduate Daniel Swift is once again making waves in the world of theatre! This time, taking a production aimed at people labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) to the West End and is the very first of its kind. In 2019, he founded Concrete Youth, a theatre company for the purpose of creating more accessible shows and events. 'I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you; we will soon be announcing that our next production will run in the West End this autumn. This marks a significant milestone as it will be the first West End production specifically designed for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). I loved my time at the university. It was transformational for my practice and introduced me to the world of inclusive arts and education. The educators in the Drama department were exceptional and continue to support my work years later.' Daniel Swift Sensory Cinders is a new sensory pantomime adaptation of Cinderella for audiences labelled with PMLD, featuring original music that explores themes of identity, self-expression, transformation, magic, personas, authenticity, and connectedness. What does it mean to pursue self-love and understanding in a world that doesn’t understand you? This marks the first West End show and the first inclusive sensory pantomime specifically designed for audiences such as this. The production features specially designed sensory materials by Henshaws Arts & Crafts, a Yorkshire-based collective supporting local learning-disabled visual artists. The show marks all the artists’ professional theatre debuts. Sensory Cinders is a co-production from the multi-award-winning sensory theatre company Concrete Youth and the nationally recognised venue Barnsley Civic. The production is presented in partnership with @sohoplace and Henshaws Arts Centre. The show is supported by Sheffield Theatres and Arts Council England. and the production's development was supported by the National Theatre's Generate programme. You can read Daniel Swift's previous work at Concrete Youth with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities here. -
'Let's Play' event held at BGU
The Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (SENDI) team at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is delighted to have welcomed Neil Stuart from Autism New Zealand, who joined us for the day to share the Let’s Play approach. This adult-change programme enables parents and early years practitioners to offer joyous and quality experiences of play from the child’s own patterns, making it possible for young children with autism to enjoy playing with their parents and carers without uncertainty or fear.'Fantastic and engaging presentation. Thoroughly enjoyed listening & hopefully putting some strategies into practice.' Bev Clark (Parent/ PAACT) Over a hundred attendees from across Lincolnshire and surrounding counties gathered on Thursday 20th June at BGU, to join in this one-off opportunity to learn more about New Zealand’s national early steps programme. The mixed audience of parents, practitioners, students, academics, and other professionals had opportunities to gain new understanding and reflect on their own approaches, learning to relate and connect through playfulness in ways meaningful for the child. The day’s free training was highly entertaining and drew on ingenious metaphors to raise empathy and to demonstrate the importance of change in the adult rather than the child. Complete with evidence base, video coaching and the simplicity of ‘pattern, memory, variation’, this approach got everybody thinking.'This is the second time I have visited Bishop Grosseteste University to see Neil and he has not disappointed on either occasion. His character, passion and knowledge about the subject of play, in particular engaging autistic children in play, is captivating. I would thoroughly recommend. Each time I left feeling a renewed energy to pass on the little gems of wisdom we learned to the team back in our setting.' Anna Thorpe (Abbey Academies)'Inspirational – affirms the way we work when supporting autistic children and their families to build connections and meaningful relationships; the principles, ethos and beliefs.' Adele Sherrif (WTT) From the feedback, it was widely agreed this innovative approach had been insightful and inspiring, providing everything needed to implement the new thinking and to change practice. A huge thank you to Neil who enabled us to share this humanist approach as a free event.'Brilliant training leaving a lot to think about and move forward with.' Ellie Newton (WTT) This SENDI team event contributes to a series of international collaborations of knowledge exchange, enhancing understanding through international perspectives. If you are interested in receiving information about future SENDI events or to discuss courses at BGU, please contact admissions@bishopg.ac.uk or julia.lindley-baker@bishopg.ac.uk (Programme Leader, SENDI). -
Dr Duncan Mercieca
Dr Duncan Mercieca lectures in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion at BGU. His research draws upon post-structural philosophers to think through educational issues, in particular, those related to diversity and otherness; inclusion and disability; and critiquing education research and its methods. Duncan also works in a special school in Scotland. -
Undergraduate Programme Specifications
This page provides the course specifications for our undergraduate degrees. -
Foundation Year Programme Specifications
This page provides the programme specifications for our foundation year degrees. -
Transforming the experience of students who are Trans
About 10 years ago, there was a growing recognition that trans students studying at our university – for many, their first experience of leaving home – often experienced discrimination, bullying, harassment and being subjected to negative stereotyping. Attempts to bring in some trans friendly signage failed and remained a source of contention. In response we set up a project team (with both trans and non-trans members) to carry out a piece of participatory action research – a method whereby people whose experiences and identities are central to an enquiry become involved as co-researchers on an equal footing– to try and bring about improvements. Our goal was to provide recommendations that might transform the environment (facilities and culture) – so that trans people on campus, students, staff and visitors, felt more welcome and able to fully engage as members of our learning community. All trans students interviewed as part of the research said they had experienced feelings of isolation and withdrawal, alongside anxiety about ‘passing’ (being perceived as not trans or ‘cis-gendered’). Interviewees also wished to avoid being publicly ‘outed’ as a trans person and hoped that neutral signage for bathroom facilities and some additional changing spaces for the health and fitness suite could be introduced. The project later came to the attention of internationally renowned scholar Professor Wendy Stainton-Rogers who cited it as a ‘world changing’ case study: ‘World Changing’ Trans Student Experience Project Included in International Social Psychology Text | Bishop Grosseteste University. Since then, our university has benefitted from some modest, reasonable adjustments, such as all gender toilet facilities (as well as single sex provision) across the campus, and a genuine desire to work for a culture of inclusion and sense of belonging. Fast forward ten years, and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has recently rushed to publish some ‘interim guidance’ (EHRC, 2025) hot on the heels of the UK Supreme Court judgement that provides an interpretation of certain (already existing) exceptions on the basis of sex in the Equality Act (The Supreme Court UK, 2025). The judges explicitly stated precisely what their judgement referred to, and that the law itself has not changed. Indeed, in the days that followed, Lord Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, warned against misrepresenting the judgement as a requirement to exclude and discriminate against trans people, (Maddox, 2025). Amnesty UK described the ruling as having potentially concerning consequences for trans people and emphasised that the vilification of a marginalised minority group is absolutely wrong. In light of this and the social and mainstream media frenzy surrounding it, and the apparent growth of anti-EDI sentiment here in the UK and across the globe, we, the BRIDgE team, alongside Senior Leaders at the University and our new Vice Chancellor, Andrew Gower, would like to highlight our efforts, such as the one outlined above, to create a richly diverse and inclusive community, where all are welcome, valued and can fully belong. We emphasise that we will continue such work to establish a fully inclusive community and will strive to protect the rights of marginalised groups. -
Education courses
https://www.bgu.ac.uk/education-courses -
Foundation Year Showcase 2025
Last week, our Foundation Year students presented their specialist subject research to a live audience as part of their annual Showcase.
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